January 19, 1818 Birth of anti-slavery activist Alvan Bovay, who organized first meeting of Republican Party in 1854, to oppose Democrats’ pro-slavery policies Alan Earl Bovay, one of the founders of the Republican Party, believed a new party should be formed to represent the interests of the North and the abolitionists. He decided to call that party "Republican" because it was a simple, yet significant word synonymous with equality. Thomas Jefferson had earlier chosen "Republican" to refer to his party, which gave the name respect borne of historical significance. January 19, 1977 President Gerald Ford Pardons Iva Toguri D'Aquino (Tokyo Rose) Identified by the press, however erroneously, as Tokyo Rose after the war, she was detained for a year by the U.S. military before being released for lack of evidence. Regardless, she was railroaded by the Truman administration. Upon return to the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation charged her with eight counts of treason. Her 1949 trial resulted in a conviction on one count, making her the seventh American to be convicted on that charge. In 1974, investigative journalists found key witnesses had lied during testimony, among other serious problems with the conduct of the trial. Interestingly, Tokyo Rose, whoever she was, never said anything as treasonous and inflammatory as remarks on record by people such as Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and Cindy Sheehan.
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